Bring on the drones

A coalition of high-powered business and military interests is hoping to have a large swath of Southern California, including San Diego County, designated as a test range for unmanned aerial vehicles – drones. The drone business already has a significant presence in San Diego and is one of the few sectors of the local defense industry that is growing. The test range designation, if we could get it, would mean a significant economic boost.

So, of course, the American Civil Liberties Union is very concerned. Drone flights over the southland could, according to the ACLU, lead to spying on the public. Existing privacy laws “are not strong enough,” said the ACLU, “to ensure that Americans can enjoy the benefits of this technology without bringing our country a large step closer to a ‘surveillance society.’”

Under ACLU logic, if drones can lead to abuse and loss of individual privacy, they will lead to abuse and loss of privacy – unless we stop the whole project before it gets started and develop a whole new system of rules.

Aside from the heavily publicized military use of drones against terrorists abroad, these pilotless aircraft could serve many beneficial domestic purposes. They would, for example, be far more effective, safer and cheaper than manned helicopters in detecting early stage wildfires in the backcountry or monitoring the border.

The U-T Editorial Board supports the application for the Southern California test range designation, now before the Federal Aviation Administration. It would be good for San Diego.